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A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute revealed 55% of health care professionals didn't know when their organizations would have a formal clinical informatics program. Researchers also found 13% of respondents said their groups would need more than two years to implement such a program, while 10% said it would take one to two years.

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There is not enough evidence to assess the risks vs. benefits of using the ankle brachial index to screen asymptomatic adults for peripheral artery and cardiovascular diseases, according to a draft report by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. USPSTF Co-vice Chair Michael LeFevre, MD, said despite the uncertain evidence, how he manages patients to prevent heart disease likely would not change based on results of the ankle brachial index test.

Hospitals that joined Premiere's QUEST program attained a 10% lower mortality rate compared with the national average and have saved up to $9.1 billion since 2008, according to a company release. QUEST hospitals also showed higher patient experience scores and lower readmission rates and average discharge costs.

A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute revealed 55% of health care professionals didn't know when their organizations would have a formal clinical informatics program. Researchers also found 13% of respondents said their groups would need more than two years to implement such a program, while 10% said it would take one to two years. Another 10% said it would take less than a year for their associations to establish a program, while 13% said they would never start one.

The FDA released a report saying the total review time for applications seeking 510(k) clearance for medical devices increased by more than 55% since 2005. "Our analysis shows that that poor submission quality and sponsors' failure to address deficiencies identified in first-round AI [additional information] Letters are major contributors to the increase in total review times," FDA officials wrote. The agency reported that in 4% of cases FDA reviewers issued "inappropriate requests for additional information."

U.S. companies are hiring physicians, opening clinics and offering wellness programs to reduce health care costs. Discovery Communications has two wellness centers with on-site physicians and said it has saved about $5 million in the past five years.